Ever since and even before the origination of Moore's Law, the personal computer industry has struggled to put an increased amount of computing power into a personal computer with a decreased footprint. Personal computers with smaller footprints leave greater space on desktops for the personal computer's user. However, as a personal computer's size decreases, the size of components included in the personal computer tend to decrease, leading to decreased functionality and robustness.
For instance, laptop computers are designed with portability as the central objective. However, top-of-the-line laptop computers generally have slower processors, less random access memory and smaller hard drives than do top-of-the-line personal computers. In addition, laptop computer components generally have less strength and are thus more prone to break. One example of reduced robustness is the CDROM drives typically found on laptops. Laptop CDROM drives are generally manufactured with less robust parts, such as doors, than conventional CDROM parts in order to reduce the overall size of the CDROM drive. When pressure is placed on the door, as often happens when a CDROM is placed in or removed from the door, the door may snap off or is otherwise rendered non-functional, generally requiring replacement of the CDROM drive.
Another factor that effects the footprint size of a personal computer is the option of upgrading the personal computer at a future date with additional internal components. For instance, personal computers constructed as a "tower" are too large to reside on a desktop, but generally have a relatively large amount of internal space for components, including aftermarket components, for expanding the personal computer's functionality. By comparison, "desktop" personal computers have reduced footprint to allow a user to rest the personal computer on a desktop, but have relatively less room for aftermarket expansion. In contrast, laptop computers have minimal footprints for ease of use in any location, but are designed for minimal user interaction with internal components.
In addition to increased footprint, a number of other significant tradeoffs occur as a personal computer's footprint changes in size. For instance, as footprint size decreases, electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by the personal computer becomes more difficult to control to desired specifications. Thus, a personal computer with a generally large footprint allows a greater degree of flexibility in the design of its shape and appearance. In contrast, personal computer's designed with generally smaller footprints tend to have a more utilitarian appearance, in part to comply with EMI requirements. One example of a utilitarian design is the design typically employed on laptop personal computers. The internal components of laptops are tightly packed in a restricted space with EMI a major consideration in the arrangement of internal components. The result is a utilitarian box with little flexibility for modification of internal components or appearance.
As another example of a tradeoff that arises with changes in a personal computer's size, cable connections tend to become more complicated as footprint increases. For instance, personal computers with large footprints generally have a greater distance between essential external components, such as the monitor, keyboard, mouse and printer, than do personal computers with smaller footprints. Longer cables are more difficult to manage and also increase EMI output from the personal computer system.
One recent and significant advance towards reducing the footprint of personal computer systems is the introduction of commercially-available flat panel displays (FPDs). FPDs are considerably smaller than conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, but also less robust and more susceptible to damage. For instance, FPDs tend to be so light in weight that they can easily be tipped over or otherwise disturbed, resulting in damage to the FPD. Thus, in order to minimize the risk of damage to the FPD, a large support is typically used, effectively eliminating the advantage presented by an FPD's reduced footprint.